*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
David Pye
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Appearances: 45 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 13
Date / Year of birth: 2nd March 1944
Position: Goalkeeper
Season of first appearance: 1966/67
Season of last appearance: 1966/67
Also played for: Cardiff City (Wales) (0), Chelmsford City, Hastings United, Worcester City and Malvern Town
Acrobatic 5' 10" tall keeper who was born in Ponthenry, Carmarthenshire but grew up in Chelmsford, Essex.
In 1962 David went to college in Cardiff and spent three years playing for Cardiff City's reserve and Welsh League teams up to the end of the 1964/65 season. He played alongside the legendary John Charles and his Welsh international brother Mel Charles during his time with the Bluebirds.
David then returned home to Chelmsford and joined Chelmsford City for the 1965/66 campaign. He was loaned to Hastings during the season but was recalled by City in time to play in a 2-2 draw at Margate on 1.1.66. A report in an Essex newspaper said David "impressed with some brilliant saves" during the match.
In May 1966 David signed for Margate along with his team-mates Peter Gillott and Ron Smillie and almost immediately Margate embarked on a tour of West Germany, shortly before the 1966 World Cup. David played in all three of Margate's matches and a newspaper report said he "distinguished himself with some smart saves and astute distribution" as Margate beat Lorch 7-0 in the second game of the trip.
Before the start of the 1966/67 season Margate manager Almer Hall described David as being "cool, calm and collected at all times" and said that he "should prove a big asset." David took over from the long-serving Brian Hughes for the first half of the campaign and made his debut in a 5-2 win over Barry at Hartsdown Park on 20.8.66. He impressed with his safe handling and was ever-present until February 1967. Hughes then took over and played in virtually all of the season's remaining matches. A broken nose and finger sustained in a 4-1 win over Kettering at Hartsdown Park on 18.3.67 put paid to any hopes David might have had of re-establishing himself and at the end of the campaign he left the club, partly because he was finding the travelling from Essex for home matches excessive. David had made 45 appearances for Margate and kept 13 clean sheets as the club won promotion from the Southern League Division One by finishing as runners-up.
He rejoined full-time Southern League club Chelmsford for the 1967/68 season but David rarely featured in their first team although he was the first-choice for the reserves. One senior game he did play in was a 3-0 defeat at Margate on 25.4.68 and by his own admission David played badly. The Essex Chronicle's match report was headlined "City Boobs Hand Points To Margate". His first team opportunities were limited due to City having one former and one future Football League keeper on their books - Owen Medlock had played in the league for Oxford and Swindon whilst Bryan King went on to make almost 350 appearances for Millwall. In the summer of 1968 David was given a free transfer and then moved to the Malvern area of Worcestershire.
He played for Worcester's reserve team in the Border League and David also had a spell with Malvern before suffering a stress fracture of his spine. He recovered sufficiently to play local football and eventually finished his career at the age of 40.
David taught Geography and assisted with games at the John Payne School in Chelmsford during his time with Margate and after his move to Worcestershire he became Head of Humanities at the Dyson Perrins High School in Malvern where he stayed until retiring.
In 2012 David looked back on his time at Margate and said "I remember the German trip really well. Roger Wedge and I were billeted with a German family." He also recalled how manager Almer Hall had an often-used phrase in his pre-match pep talks before Kent Floodlight Cup games and would say "This competition has its own kudos." David said "We nodded and agreed - one night Peter Gillott asked "What does kudos mean Almer ?" - so then we all knew !"
David related another story about Almer Hall "He was an attack-minded manager as I realised after a game in November 1966 at Sittingbourne. It was very muddy, the ball like the proverbial bar of soap and as the goalkeeper who'd let in five goals in a 5-5 draw I came off the pitch expecting and deserving an 'earful' but Almer's first words were "You...forwards missed some chances today !" - I got changed very quickly and quietly."
David also said "It was a well run, generous club. I was loaned £400 to buy my first car - a lot of money in 1966. At the end of the season after I had said I was finding the travelling difficult for evening games I had a letter saying I had won £500 in the '200 Club'. It was a difficult decision leaving the club under those circumstances but I had just got married and needed to concentrate on my career. I broke my nose against Dover I think in February, then broke it again and also broke a finger against Kettering on my first game back." Expanding on the problems with travelling David said "I found it difficult after a while as it meant a journey of around 90 miles each way and sometimes Peter, Ron, Dave Kydd and I got home at 1.00 am."
David was living in Herefordshire in 2012 and had been married for 45 years - his Margate and Chelmsford team-mates Peter Gillott and Ron Smillie both attended the wedding. David had two daughters and four grandchildren and watched Margate play at Hereford during the club's spell in the Conference in the early 2000's. He also made his first visit to Hartsdown Park for over 45 years when he arrived at the ground to watch Margate play Wealdstone on 24.11.12 but unfortunately the match was postponed. His full name was Richard William David Pye but he was always known as David.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC |
KSS |
|
1966/67 (MFC) |
45 (72) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 24) |
3QR |
QF |
RU |
GR |
2R |
| Margate promoted to Premier Division. | |||||||||